SCIENCE

On December 12, 2025, the Moon transitions from its last quarter phase in Virgo to a waning crescent, with just 50% illumination. Astronomers and skywatchers alike now look ahead to the next major event: the Wolf Moon, January 3, 2026.

The last supermoon of the year—and the final chance until 2042—will dazzle the skies on December 4, 2025, appearing brightest at 6:14 p.m. EST.

December 2025 and early 2026 are packed with astronomical highlights, including a supermoon on December 24, Jupiter shining brightest at opposition on January 10, and rare planetary alignments.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted a shiny, metal-rich rock on Mars, potentially its first meteorite find. The 80 cm object, called “Phippsaksla,” contains high iron and nickel levels, matching meteorites formed deep in ancient asteroids.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket booster landed successfully at sea, making the Jeff Bezos-led company the only one besides SpaceX to pull off this challenging reusable rocket maneuver.

Fresh images captured on November 5, 2025, reveal that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has lost over 13% of its mass during its closest approach to the Sun, yet surprisingly displays no visible cometary tail.

The year's biggest and brightest supermoon—November's Beaver Moon—will peak on November 5, 2025, coming closer to Earth than any full moon since 2019.

Comet 3I/ATLAS, the largest interstellar object ever observed, is streaking through the solar system at over 137,000 mph, with its closest approach to Earth set for December 19, 2025.

Researchers using supercomputers and Fermi telescope data have found that mysterious gamma rays at the Milky Way's center match predictions for dark matter, strengthening evidence for the elusive substance making up 27% of the universe.

Astronomers have, for the first time, directly imaged two black holes orbiting each other in the distant quasar OJ287, confirming a decades-old theory and marking a milestone in black hole research.